Cuarteto Latinoamericano: Ruperto Chapí String Quartets 3 & 4
Sono Luminus

I'll confess to being unfamiliar with the name Ruperto Chapí (1851-1909) before sampling this stellar set by Cuarteto Latinoamericano. After the Spanish composer studied in Madrid as a prodigious teen and enjoyed sojourns in Rome and Paris, he returned to Spain to achieve his first success with the zarzuela La Tempestad in 1882 and fifteen years later La Revoltosa. He produced over a hundred works, including the four string quartets he began writing in 1903 towards the end of his life. No ensemble would seem to be better qualified to present Chapí's material than Cuarteto Latinoamericano, founded in Mexico in 1982 and renowned for performing Latin American string quartet works and bringing attention to new and overlooked composers of the genre.

His decision to write string quartets didn't arise out of thin air, but as a result of the 1901 formation of the Madrid-based Cuarteto Francés, which went out of its way to encourage native composers to write new quartets. A flood of works followed from a number of figures, including the four by Chapí, who until that time had never written any chamber material. One would never know it, however, given the material's poise and melodic breeziness, and the results clearly show his gifts were well-suited to the form. The third and fourth quartets exude Spanish flavour whilst also adhering to the string quartet's time-honoured European traditions, and the sensuality, vibrancy, and rhythmic vitality of the writing suggests it would be an excellent introduction for anyone seeking an entry-point to the string quartet genre. Of course some of that impression is attributable to the inspired performances by Cuarteto Latinoamericano.

Motivic development is handled beautifully by the composer in both works, and each unfolds with clear-eyed purpose. They're tonally different, however, with the third, premiered by the Cuarteto Francés in March 1905, the more tempestuous of the two. Its opening “Grave-Allegro assai” movement begins dramatically with a majestic theme Chapí subjects to a series of explorations, some rhythmically intense and others verging on serene. While structurally complex, the material never loses its melodic focus, and the precision with which Cuarteto Latinoamericano executes the movement bolsters the clarity of the writing. The passion of the quartet's playing illuminates the buoyancy of the scherzo-styled second movement, with melody again an alluring component. The nostalgic “Larghetto” slows the pace for a replenishing evocation imbued with the graceful sensuality Ravel and Debussy achieved in their own quartets, after which the rhythmically driving finale brings the work to a breathless close. Though the third quartet was written by a Spanish composer, it feels very much rooted in the Romantic tradition.

Cuarteto Francés also premiered Chapí's String Quartet No. 4, in B minor, this time two years after the third. A Spanish sensibility informs its rhythms and melodies, albeit subtly, and consequently the fourth is arguably more representative of the Spanish string quartet writing style than its predecessor. The “Allegro moderato” provides an elegantly flowing introduction that's animated by an enticing 6/8 rhythm, and the “Allegretto” charms with rapid triplets and singing melodic figures. Urgency characterizes the third movement, which reprises the triplets from the second but now delivered at a breakneck speed; as challenging as the high-velocity tempo is, Cuarteto Latinoamericano handles it with aplomb. The fourth is also notable for the length of the concluding part, which in this performance closes in on seventeen minutes. Feverish in attack, the “Allegro vivo” is distinguished by a near-obsessive examination of a four-note motive that demands much from the musicians when they're required to play at a hellacious clip for the full movement.

For whatever reason, Cuarteto Latinoamericano's performances have sat on the shelf since their January 2014 recording, but at least they're here now to honour Chapí and newly introduce his name and music to string quartet aficionados. If there's any justice in the world, other quartets will consider adding these fine examples of the genre to their own repertoires. The seventy-three-minute release is enhanced by liner notes by Saúl Bitran, who writes in detail about the history of the string quartet genre in Spain, key Chapí precursors such as Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805) and Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga (1806-1826), and, naturally, the two quartets realized so splendidly by Cuarteto Latinoamericano.

April 2022